Ringhardt told police she had the gun because she was anxious being home alone. Orange County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Clinton Hodgkinson told a local news affiliate that’s no excuse for her irresponsible behavior.

"People have the right to bear arms, and with that comes great responsibility," Hodgkinson told KFDM-TV of Beaumont. "If someone, somehow, puts a firearm in a place where a child is able to get that weapon, you've committed an offense."